Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer-songwriter, musician and composer known as Ray Charles and sometimes referred to as "The Genius". He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into early performances recorded by Atlantic Records. He also helped racially integrate country and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, most notably with his two Modern Sounds albums. While with ABC, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to be given artistic control by a mainstream record company. Frank Sinatra called Charles "the only true genius in show business", although Charles downplayed this notion. He was blind from age seven. His best friend in music was South Carolina-born James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul", and like Charles an active lifelong Republican. The influences upon his music were mainly jazz, blues, rhythm and blues, and country artists of the day including Art Tatum, Louis Jordan, Charles Brown, and Louis Armstrong, though he maintained that he was most influenced by Nat King Cole. His playing reflected influences from country blues, barrelhouse and stride piano styles. Rolling Stone ranked Charles as number ten on its list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" in 2004, and number two on their November 2008 list of "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". In honoring Charles, Billy Joel noted: "This may sound like sacrilege, but I think Ray Charles was more important than Elvis Presley"."A Tribute to Ray Charles", ''Rolling Stoners '' issue 952/953, July 8–22, 2004. Category:Musician Genre Postwar Blues Songs * Georgia On My Mind * That Lucky Old Sun * Together Again * How Long Blues * Say No More * Hit The Road, Jack * Oh, What A Beautiful Morning * You Won't Let Me Go * Marianne * Moonlight In Vermont * Sherry * Rosetta * With A Song In My Heart * Come With Me * She's On The Ball * People Will Say We're In Love * My Romance * I Had Twins (he Had Twins) * Johnny One Note * My Shining Hour * On A Desert Island With Thee * Living For The City * I Wish You Were Here Tonight * Mountain Greenery * I'll Be Good To You * Leave My Woman Alone * If It Wasn't For Bad Luck * Rudolph The Red-nosed Reindeer * I Love You, I Love You (i Will Never Let You Go) * North America Meets South America * The Lady Is A Tramp * My Heart Cries For You * Rainy Night In Georgia * It Was A Very Good Year - Features Willie Nelson * Let's Go Get Stoned * Spirit In The Dark (reprise) * Sinner's Prayer - Features B.bking * Somewhere Over The Rainbow - Features Johnny Mathis * Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word - Features Elton John * Some Day (blues Is My Middle Name) * Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive * Sittin' On Top Of The World * Rocking Chair * Side By Side * Roll With My Baby * Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma * I Won't Sing A Song * Ol' Man River * Spic And Spanish * I've Got News For You * I Can Make It Thru The Days (but Oh Those Lonely Nights) * From The Heart * No One To Cry To * One Drop Of Love * Precious Thing * Sentimental Journey * Can't You Do A Friend A Favor * Just A Little Lovin' (will Go A Long Way) * In A Little Spanish Town * Don't Change On Me * Fever - Features Natalie Cole * Drown In My Own Tears * Don't You Know * Give It Back To The Indians * I Feel At Home With You * Sleepyhead * Me And The Ghost Upstairs * Days Of Wine And Roses * Worried Mind * Weird Beard * Get On The Right Track Baby * Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying * Soliciting Subscriptions * On The Atchison Topeka And Santa Fe * Ten Cents A Dance * A Ship Without A Sail * The Little Drummer Boy * I Thought About You * Doodlin' * Greenbacks * Without Love (there Is Nothing) * Fifty Nifty United States * Everytime We Say Goodbye * Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry * Hey Girl - Features Michael Mcdonald * I Love You So Much It Hurts * If I Give You My Love * It Had To Be You * I Didn't Know What Time It Was * I Don't Need No Doctor * I'll Do Anything But Work * The Sun's Gonna Shine Again * I'm Going Down To The River * Kissa Me Baby * When Your Lover Has Gone * It Makes No Difference Now * I Cried For You * Prayer * Heaven Help Us All - Features Gladys Knight * Till There Was You * Trav'lin' Light * Take Him * Honey, Honey * The Girl Friend * He Was Too Good To Me * Way Out West (on West End Avenue) * If You Were Mine * I Remember Clifford * Goody Goody * It Should've Been Me * What Would I Do Without You * Blue Hawaii * Hang Your Head In Shame * I've Had My Fun * Blues Before Sunrise * Making Believe * In The Evening (When The Sun Goes) * A Bit Of Soul * Don't Put All Your Dreams In One Basket * The Midnight Hour * At The Club * Can't You See Darling? * I Surrender Dear * Nobody Cares * Don't You Cry Baby * We Didn't See A Thing * Going Down Slow * You Win Again * I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now? * No Letter Today * Don't Tell Me Your Troubles * What Kind Of Man Are You * That's Enough * Oh, Lonesome Me * Two Old Cats Like Us * Baby Won't You Please Come Home * Crazy Old Soldier * Isn't It Wonderful * Early In The Mornin' * Some Day Baby * Imagine * X-Ray Blues * Candy * Margie * Diane * Cherry * The Right Time * A Fool For You * Two Years Of Torture * I Want To Know * Funny (But I Still Love You) * I'm Wonderin' And Wanderin' * The Snow Is Falling * Funny But I Still Love You * Walkin' And Talkin' * My Baby Don't Dig Me * I Want A Little Girl * The Man I Love * A Stranger In Town * Hey, Good Lookin' * Who Cares * Blame It On The Sun * Tired Of My Tears * Two Of A Kind * One For My Baby (and One More For The Road) * Once Upon A Summertime * This Can't Be Love * When The World Was Young * Out Of This World * Girls Girls Girls! * Glad To Be Unhappy * I'll Tell The Man In The Street * Ye Lunchtime Follies * Wait Till You See Her * Have You Met Miss Jones * Friendship * Still Crazy After All These Years * Take These Chains From My Heart * Fools Rush In * Stella By Starlight * Sweet Potato Pie - Features James Taylor * Sticks And Stones * Sweet Georgia Brown * You've Got Me Crying Again * Takes Two To Tango * Talkin' 'bout You * That Old Black Magic * What Can You Do With A Man * Hallelujah I'm A Bum * Laura * Christmas Time * You Took Advantage Of Me * Please Say You're Fooling * I Wanna Be Around * Summer Wind * Bewitched * Nobody Loves A Riveter * Glow Worm * Baby Grand (duet With Ray Charles) * Heartbreaker * We'll Be The Same * I've Got A Tiger By The Tail * Down By The River * In The Cool Cool Cool Of The Evening * The Bible * Jubilation T. Cornpone * The Man For Me (the Letter Song) * Moon River * Winter Wonderland * Cause We Got Cake (cakewalk) * I'm An Old Cowhand * I Blush * Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You * I'll Never Stand In Your Way * Drinking Again * I Chose To Sing The Blues * Your Cheatin' Heart * New York's My Home * Chattanooga Choo Choo * Hey Now * Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand * Tell The Truth * Born To Lose * You Be My Baby * I Believe To My Soul * Unchain My Heart * Careless Love * Here We Go Again * Tell Me How Do You Feel * In The Heat Of The Night * Mary Ann * Swanee River Rock * Seven Spanish Angels * This Little Girl Of Mine * Losing Hand * Always A Friend * I'm Movin' On * Born To Be Blue * Deep In The Heart Of Texas * My Bonnie * Tell All The World About You * Yes Indeed * Hey! Hey! * Ev'ry Sunday Afternoon * That Spirit Of Christmas * Where Or When * Dearly Beloved * Lover * Them That Got * The Modern Student * And The Angels Sing * This Goes Up (smile) * The Tartar Song * Talk To Me Baby * How Long Has This Been Going On * Single-o * I Could Write A Book * That's Where It's At * Thou Swell * Little Girl Blue * Love Me Tonight (lover Love Me Tonight) * A Tree In The Park * You Were Never Lovelier * Ev'rybody Loves You * The Cincinnati Kid * I Like To Hear It Sometime